Device for operating car-couplings.



Patented u. 26, I899.

WMW .mr

A KEUSINK DEVICE FOB OPERATING OAR COUPLINGS.

(No Mo del.) v

zen of the United States,

UNITE STATES PATENT Genres.

ADAM KEUSI'NK, or 'rA' oo u'A', WASHINGTON.

DEVICE FOR OPERATING CAR-COUPLINGS.

srncrmcn'rron. forming part oensaassaeneere. -ese,eee,-eazea-neember 2c,1899.

Application filed my 1 9, 1899.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADAM KEUSINK, a citiresiding at Tacoma, in thecounty of Pierce and State of Washington, have'invented certain-new anduseful Improvements in Devices for Operating Oar- Couplings; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same. I

My invention relates to improvements in mechanisms foroperating couplersof the Janney or swinging-hook type; and the object of the saidinvention is the construction of such a mechanism as will not onlypermit of the operation of the locking-pin from the side of the car,thus avoiding the necessity of the opera tor going between the car-sandthe maintenance ofthe pin in its unlockedposition, but will as wellpermit of the automatic return of the pin to a locking position.

g It consists of certain novel constructions,

combinations, and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of thefront end of a car having a swinging-hook coupler, the swinging hook andthe releasing mechanism being shown in locked position. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the same, the swinging hook being in an unlockedposition. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking mechanism in anunlocked position. Fig. 4; is adetail view of the same in a lockedposition, and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the serrated bracket.

The draw-head 1, with its swinging hook 2 and locking-pin 3, are of theusual form. and construction found in'the Janney or other similar classof swinging-hook couplers, and the draw-head is connected to the car-Ain any suitable manner. The locking-pin 3 or other suitable deviceemployed for locking the hook in operative or closed position isconnected by a chain at or other suitable means, preferably of aflexible character, to a lever arin 5, secured to the shaft 6. Thisshaft is mounted in suitable brackets 7 and 8, seen red either to theend sill or body of the car. The bracket 7 is of ordinary construction,permitting of the rotation of the shaft,

Serial No.724,396'. (Ndmodel-l and-the bracket 8 is provided withserrations 9, adapted to engage spiral teeth 10, formed on theperipheryof a collar 11, secured to the shaft 6. The outer end of the shaft isprovided with a handle '12, whereby the shaft may be rotated, therebyraising the pin 3 and unlocking the hook 2. This shaft is made ofsufficient length topermit the brakeman or other person to operate itwithout passing between the cars. To preventthe shaft from slippingthrough the bracket 7, a pin 13 may be secured to the said sh'aft at itsinner end.

By' providing the collar 11 with teeth when it enters the bracket 8 itwill engage the serrations on the said bracket, and thereby lock theshaft in such position. By providing this collar with spiral teeth itwill permit of a slight twist afterthe collar has been inserted in thebracket, which movement will tighten the slack in the chain 4.

Inorder to operate the shaft, itis simply necessary to bring the same tothe position shown in Fig. 3, or, in other words, pull the collar 11 outof engagementwith the bracket 8, when the handle may be turned to raisethe locking-pin to any desired height through the medium of thelever-arm and chain and unlock the swinging hook WVhen the desiredposition is obtained, it is simply necessary to bring the collar 11 intoengagement with the bracket 8, thereby locking the shaft in suchposition. I

The locking pin or bolt in the J annoy type of car-coupler has to .be'raised to a certain height, so as to allow the tail of the knuckle topass out when it is unlocked and hung-up by the shaft, and by myconstruction a very fine adjustment is obtained and all slack in thechain will be taken up by means of the spiral teeth on the bracket 8.

It..will be apparent that my device is very simple in its constructionand yet efiective in operation and that it can be easily manipulatedfrom the side of the car.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. Adeviceforoperatingcar couplingscomprising in its construction ashaft, said shaft being provided with a handle at one end,-a collarmounted on the said. shaft and pro vided with spirally-arrangec'l teethon its pe I riphery, brackets supporting the said shaft, one of saidbrackets being provided with serrations adapted to engage the teeth onthe said collar, and means connectedto the shaft for operating thelocking-pin of the coupler, substantially as described.

2. A device for operating oar-couplings,- comprising in its constructiona. shaft, provided at one end with ahandle, a. collar mounted on thesaid shaft and provided on its periphery with spiral teeth, bracketssupporting the said shaft, one of the said bracket-s being provided withserrations, a crank or lever arm secured to the said shaft, and achainconnected with the said lever-armat one end and to the locking-pin ofthe coupler at the other end, whereby the pin may be raised orlowered,as desired, substantially as described.

3. A device for operating car-couplings, comprisinginitsconstruction'ashaft,ahandle on one end of said shaft, a collar mountedon the said shaft and provided on its periphery with spiral teeth,brackets secured to the end sill of the car for supporting said shaft,one of said brackets being provided with serrations which are adapted toengage the teeth on the collar, and means connected to the shaft foroperating the locking-pin of the coupler, the construction being suchthat the said pin may be raised to any height and locked in suchposition, substantially as described.

4.- A device for operating car-couplings, comprising in its constructiona shaft, a collar mounted on said shaft and provided on its peripherywith spiral teeth, brackets secured to the end sill of the car forsupporting the shaft, one of said brackets being provided withscrrations, and means connected to the shaft for operating thelocking-pin of the coupler, the construction being such that after thecollar has been inserted in the serrated bracket, the spiral teeth onthe said collar will permit of 'a. slight additional movement or twist,which movement will take up the slack in the chain, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony. whereof I hereunto aifix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

ADAM KEUSINK. Witnesses:

HERBERT N. DE GRAFF', ,FRANK J. MILLER.

